Sweet love online, dark scam in reality
[2] Compiled from: Shandong High Court
Case review
In July 2015, Xiao Zhou met a woman claiming to be Han Mouhong online. During their chat, Han Mouhong said she wanted to introduce her sister, Han Mouxuan, to Xiao Zhou. Xiao Zhou, eager to find a partner, promptly added Han Mouxuan on WeChat and QQ, and the two quickly fell into a passionate romance. Later, Han Mouhong, under the pretext of convenient communication, coaxed Xiao Zhou into adding the WeChat of Han Mouxuan's cousin. During their relationship, Han Mouxuan and her cousin repeatedly asked Xiao Zhou for money and goods, citing reasons such as needing pocket money, needing cash gifts for weddings, and medical expenses for herself and her mother. By August 2017, Xiao Zhou had made 40 WeChat transfers, sent 22 red envelopes, and shipped a Huawei Honor 6S phone, totaling over 52,000 yuan. Feeling something was off, Xiao Zhou began to suspect he had been scammed and reported the case.
In December 2020, the Laizhou Municipal Public Security Bureau detained Han Mouhong on suspicion of fraud. It was only then that Xiao Zhou realized that Han Mouhong had played three roles—Han Mouxuan and her cousin were both impersonated by Han Mouhong. The sweet romance Xiao Zhou thought he had was actually a scam.
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
Article 266: Crime of Fraud
Whoever defrauds public or private property, if the amount is relatively large, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, or public surveillance, and shall also, or shall only, be fined; if the amount is huge or there are other serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years, and shall also be fined; if the amount is especially huge or there are other especially serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or have property confiscated. Where this Law otherwise provides, such provisions shall prevail.
[1] Court Opinion
The Laizhou Court found that the defendant, Han Mouhong, with the intent of illegal possession, fabricated facts, concealed the truth, and defrauded others of property in a relatively large amount, constituting the crime of fraud. The defendant voluntarily surrendered, truthfully confessed the criminal facts, and was deemed to have voluntarily surrendered. He was willing to accept punishment and could be given a lighter punishment according to law. He compensated the victim for losses and obtained forgiveness, so a lighter punishment was given discretionarily. Since another crime of the same type committed before the judgment was discovered during the probation period, the probation should be revoked, and multiple crimes should be punished concurrently. The final sentence was fixed-term imprisonment of one year and five months, along with a fine of 15,000 RMB.
[1] The author's perspective
With the advent of the internet era, due to its convenience and speed, "online dating" has sparked a new trend of romance among young men and women. The days when "carriages were slow, letters were far away" seem to have gradually faded. However, when you are secretly moved by the gentle and understanding person on the other side of the screen, what awaits you may be a premeditated "love" scam.
Indeed, love is precious, but safety is even more valuable. Blind online dating not only leads to financial loss but may even endanger personal safety. When falling in love, one should keep their eyes open, stay rational, and be cautious in making friends to avoid falling into the trap of "love" that is actually "fraud."
